Pump



NOV. 6, 1934. LE ROY LABAW 1,979,476

PUMP

Filed March 50, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 6, 1934 LE ROY LABAW PUMP 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 50, 1931 Nov. 6, 1934. LE ROY H. LABAW PUMP Filed March 30, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 45 results to these parts.

Patented Nov. 6, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PUMP Le Roy H. Labaw, Bellemead, N. J. Application March 30, 1931, Serial No. 526,521

8 Claims.

My invention relates to pumps and more par-" ticularly to force pump units embodying a pump and power mechanism combined therewith in a unitary structure.

A force pump unit of the type designated is frequently employed in automatically controlled pneumatic water system installations for domestic use where a small, efficient, and inexpensive apparatus is desired. These units have 10 heretofore been made of ordinary cast iron and the pump body or casing is usually made in several parts and assembled into a complete structure. The pumps may be of the single or double action type but whichever type is employed, owing to the characteristic arrangement of the suction and discharge chambers, the valve ports and waterways with respect to the pump cylinder, these pump castings could only be made by employing sand cores to give the desired contour to these valve ports and waterways in the interior of the pump body. As well understood in the art, after such castings are made, it requires several treating operations to remove the sand core and prepare the casting for the subsequent machining and other operations necessary before it can be incorporated into a pump structure.

Regardless of how thoroughly the cleaning is done, it is practically impossible to remove all the particles of sand which adhere to the casting surface and it frequently happens that some adhering grains of sand loosen during the machining operation of the casting and materially injure or damage the cutting tool with the result that the dimension changes and frequent inspections of the tool and work done are necessary. These grains of sandloosen gradually and ofttimes lodge under the valves or on the valve seats and consequently impair the operation of the pump and thus make frequent service calls necessary, espe- 40 cialy when the pump is new. Again, when a crank case casting is thus produced by sand core casting, these sand particles loosen under the act-ion of oil in the crank case, and are carried into the bearings, where serious injury frequently Various means have been resorted to to prevent this spalling off or loosening of particles, such as, sand blast cleaning or painting the interior of the casting, but all of these means have been unsuccessful in effectively remedyng this objectionable feature encountered in sand core casting.

Another inherent disadvantage of sand core castings for use in pumps of this character is that the resulting interior surface of the casting is rough, and this rough surface is frequently the cause of foreign matter collecting in the pump waterways and subsequently impairing the operation and efficiency of thepump. Furthermore when castings are produced with such a rough surface it is necessary to smooth them to some extent, by sand blast or other convenient abrasive means and when these castings are joined onto other parts in a pump structure, the joining surfaces must be machined to provide a proper air and watertight fit. All of these extra cleaning and processing steps add materially to the cost of manufacture of the pump product and one of the important objects of my invention is to provide a die cast pump unit which shall have a characteristic smooth and finished interior surface and also present an unusually pleasing appearance on the outside.

Another object of my invention is to provide a die cast pump unit of the character designated having a coating of chromium or cadmium.

Another object of the invention is to provide a die cast pump unit of the character designated which shall be more durable than similar pumps now in use and this object is accomplished by die casting the unit from a special non-corrosive metal alloy particularly adapted for die casting and also suited to the different conditions under which the pump will operate.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved arrangement of combined pump and power unit which shall be more compact and rugged in construction and more efficient in oper ation than similar apparatus heretofore employed.

A further object of my invention is to provide a pump unit of the character designated in which the manufacturing and upkeep cost shall be reduced to a minimum.

A further object of my invention is to provide a pump body of the character designated having a novel interior arrangement-of waterways and inlet and discharge valves which shall increase the capacity of the pump as well as facilitate the inspection and repair of these parts whenever the same may be necessaryfor any reason and without disconnecting the associated suction, discharge or switch connections.

These, and other objects of the invention will be more manifest in the following specification and drawings, and particularly set forth in the claims.

In the drawings:---

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of a pump unit embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in elevation partially in section of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the apparatus taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a view showing a vertical section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a similar view in section taken on line 66 of Fig. 2;

Fig. '7 is a similar view in section taken on line 77 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 8 is a horizontal view in section taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 9 is a view on line 99 of Fig. 2 showing a section of the crank case; and

Fig. 10 is a modified form of valve unit embodying my invention. I

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, there is shown a force pump unit embodying my invention wherein a die cast pump body 10 and a crank case 11, are mounted on a base 12 to form a unitary portable structure. This unitary structure is made from a single die casting as set forth in my copending application Serial No. 526,522, filed March 30, 1931. I have discovered that an alloy comprising about 90% aluminum, 5 and 10% silicon, 92% zinc and 3% copper produces a metal which resists alkali conditions in the water and also provides a metal which may be readily die cast into the desired shape. Another feature of this alloy is that it readily receives a coating of chromium or cadmium. Coatings of either of these metals are very desirable and necessary under certain operating conditions of a pump of this type.

The important features of my invention are the smooth interior surface of the pump body and the novel internal arrangement of valve ports and waterways which reduce the water resistance to a minimum and permit the pump to operate with maximum efficiency. In this preferred embodiment of my invention the pump casing is divided into a top or cover section 13 and a lower or body section 14 respectively. The union of these two sections necessitates only one main packed joint 15 in the pump casing and these sections are rigidly secured together by a single bolt 16 and form a fluid and air tight pump body. This bolt extends through the upper section and is secured to the lower section by a threaded boss 17. If desired the bolt may be cast integral with the lower pump section and provided with a threaded nut at the top portion. The bolt 16 is guided in the upper half by means of a tubular guide 18 cast integral with the upper section. This guide is made sufficiently long so as to extend into the discharge chamber and thereby prevent any air from leaking past the projecting head of the bolt. 16 because the top portion of the cover serves as an air cushion for the pump discharge during the normal operation of the pump. From this construction it will be noted that the pump body may be separated at joint 15 by merely loosening the single stud bolt 16, and whenthe top or cover section is, removed, ready access and inspection may be had to 'all the valve parts and movable members in the interior of the casing.

The lower casing section 14 includes a horizontally' disposed pump cylinder 19 together with its reci'procable piston 20 and rod '21 connected therewith in the usual well known manner. Formed integral with the walls of the cylinder 19 and located on opposite sides thereof are horizontally disposed suction and discharge chambars 22 and 23 respectively. In accordance with my invention these chambers are commensurate in length with the cylinder and disposed on opposite sides thereof in order to reduce the length of travel and resistance of the liquid passing through the pump and give maximum efficiency thereto as well as facilitate the manufacture of the pump. By die casting the pump body so that the cylinder lies between the suction and discharge chambers in superimposed relation, the floor space necessary for accommodating the pumping apparatus is also reduced to a minimum which is also an important item in the practical installation of pneumatic systems employing a pump of this character. Furthermore, the amount of metal necessary to produce a casting of this character is reduced to a minimum and this feature materially reduces the manufacturing cost, especially where high grade and expensive alloy metals are used in the construction.

Communicating with the suction chamber 22 and the cylinder 19 are inlet valve ports 24 and 25. These ports are located at opposite ends of the cylinder and in the lower walls thereof. These walls also form the upper walls of the suction chamber 22. In a like manner, communication between the cylinder 19 and the discharge chamber 23 is effected by discharge valve ports 26 and 27 located in the adjacent walls thereof and in vertical alignment wtih the inlet valve ports as shown in Figures 5 and 7. It will be noted that these discharge ports are merely openings in the adjacent walls and are larger in size than the similarly formed suction ports 24 and 25 whereby the water flows the shortest path through the pump body and with a minimum amount of resistance. The feature of locating the suction and discharge valve ports in axial alignment and directly in the adjacent walls of the cylinder and the as sociated suction and discharge chambers, not only provides a pump body eliminating the tortuous waterways heretofore present in pumps 01 this type, but also permits the pump body with all waterways and valve seats to be made from die castings which produce the desired smooth interior surface as well as a pleasing external appearance. The valve ports together with the formed valve seats being in vertical axial alignment, the associated valve members necessarily operate on horizontal planes and such operation obviously increases the efiiciency and durability of these valve members. The actual die casting operation for producing these pump parts together with the valve ports and valve seats associated therewith are also described in my copending application Serial No. 526,522, filed March 30, 1931.

Furthermore, by locating the inlet and discharge valve ports directly in the upper and lower cylinder walls and at each end thereof. the air space in these ports is reduced to a minimum. This is an important feature in -this type of pump because it enables the pump piston to exhaust practically all the air at each stroke. When these communicating ports are large and there is an appreciable space opening to the cylinder, and there is a back pressure on the discharge valve, for example, a pneumatic tank-pressure, the reciprocations of the piston merely compress the air in this space and do not raise the discharge valve and discharge the air from the cylinder. When such is the case, the pump will not create a sufficient vacuum to positively drawthe water as well as if the space were small. When the air is completely exhausted from the cylinder at each pump stroke, the pump does not become air bound as is frequently the case in the well known present day constructions where this port space is of considerable length and relatively large.

Another advantage of this novel arrangement is that by making the discharge ports larger than the suction ports, each set or pair of valves associated therewith may be removed from their respective operating positions in the pump casing without changing the adjustment of the individual valve or in any way disturbing the pump piston or operating mechanism. Furthermore, by arranging the valve ports and associated valves in offset relation to the piston 19 as shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 7, it will be noted that the valves for these ports may be lifted past the piston rod when the same are removed from the pump casing for any reason.

While I have shown only one pair of valves in offset relation to the piston, the pair of valves ad- 'jacent the cylinder head may also be offset and thereby permit the plunger leathers or piston to be removed without disturbing any of the valves.

Each pair of inlet and discharge valves that control the flow of water through the pump are identical in construction, and therefore only one co-operating pair will be described in detail. As shown in Figs. 2 and 5 the pair of valves at the right end of the cylinder, includes an inlet valve member 28 which may be leather or the like and discharge valve member 29 which may be of similar material. The inlet valve is secured to a stem 30. The discharge valve is secured to a stem 31, the upper end of which is received and guided by a horizontally disposed guide plate 32. The valve stem 31 is provided with a tubular recess 33 adapted to receive the upper end of the associated inlet valve stem 30 and serve as a guide therefor. The inlet valve is urged to its seat'by a coil spring 34, interposed between the inlet valve member 28 and the discharge valve member 29. In a similar manner the discharge valve 29 is urged to its seat by means of a coil spring 35, interposed between the valve member 29 and the guide plate 32. The guide plate 32 is accurately secured in position in the casing by the bolt 16 and projecting lugs 36-36 Figs. 3 and 8. The guide plate 32 is provided at its opposite ends with apertured bosses 38-39 which serve as guides for the upper ends of the discharge valve stems 31-31.

A modified form of valve stem construction is shown in Figure 10. In this construction both valves are slidably mounted on a valve guide rod 40' which is rigidly fastened to the guide plate 32.

, A fixed disc 41 supports a freely movable suction ing chamber 45.

valve member 42 and a similar disc 43 mounted on the guide rod 40 supportsa discharge valve member 44. The valve elements 42 and 44 may be made of rubber or any other suitable material adapted for such purposes and move relative to the stem 40 under the action of compression springs as heretofore descri Whichever type of valve is employed, the guide plate 32 holds these two sets of valve stems in positive alignment when the top section of the pump is secured in place by the tap bolt 16.

Connected with the suction chamber 22 and forming an integral part thereof is a vertically disposed L shaped fluid receiving and cushion- This chamber is provided with an inlet port 46 which is located above the level of the pump discharge illustrated by a conduit 47 in Figs. 5 and 6. The chamber 45 is provided with as used a removable strainer 48 which is held in place by a closure plug 49. A closure plug 50 is also provided at the top of the chamber 45 so that the pump may be primed without disturbing any of the pump or water system connections. By locating the pump inlet 46 at a higher level than the discharge outlet 47, the pump may be maintained full of water at all times and thereby ensure proper starting and operating conditions at all times.

The chamber 45 projects from the pump body at an angle as shown in Fig. 4. This permits the cylinder head to be removed and the piston withdrawn from the cylinder for the purpose of inspection and repair. The chamber 45 is secured to the pump body by a flange connection indicated by the numeral 51' and communicates directly with the suction chamber 22. This fluid chamber 45 is also designed so that it may be made at a single die casting operation, and thereby have the same smooth interior and exterior surface.

The operating mechanismfor imparting a reciprocatory motion to the pump piston 21 comprises a slotted cross head yoke 51 slidably mounted in an oil tight crosshead casing 52, which is also a die casting. The yoke 51 is rigidly connected to the piston rod 21 and is reciprocated by a crosshead block 53, wrist pin 54 and crank shaft 55. Mounted upon the outer end of the shaft 55 is a pulley 56, which is driven by a belt 5'? from any suitable source of power such as an electric motor indicated by the numeral 58. The motor 58 is adjustably mounted relative to the pulley 56, by means of a platform 59 pivotally mounted on the casing 52 so that the belt may be tightened or loosened by an adjusting device 60 interposed between the platform and easing.

The casing 52 for housing and guiding the crosshead is provided with upper and lower guide wearing shoes 60-61 respectively shown in Fig. 9. These guide shoes may be of any suitable wear resisting metal and are cast integral with the casing when the same is die cast. These guide shoes are also held in place by parallel ribs or bosses 62-62 also formed integral with the die cast casing and adapted to serve as lateral guides for the yoke so as to keep the same in alignment with the pump piston.

One of the important features of this construction is that-all of the parts are designed so that they may be die cast. One of the features of die casting is that the parts are held to a definite dimension during the initial casting operation, and thereby ensure the correct and accurate fitting of the moving parts without the expense of the usual preliminary cleaning and machining operations experienced with sand core castings. By employing a slotted crosshead yoke construction the number of bearings and wearing parts are minimized because the usual connecting rod construction is eliminated. The crosshead casing, as well as the slotted crosshead yoke, are made of die castings comprising the same special metal alloy in the pump construction and thereby produce a more durable pump operating mechanism than heretofore used for such purposes.

The yoke 51 is provided with a vertical slot 63, which is adapted to receive the crosshead block 53 and. wrist pin 54. The opposite sides of the yoke slot 63 are provided with wearing shoes 64-64 which resist wear and serve to guide the bearing block 53 during thereof in the slot and while reciprocating the yoke. The wearing shoes or guides for thebearthe vertical movement ing block are also inserts of special metal which are cast integral with the die cast yoke.

The casing 11 is closed by a side plate 65 and an end plate 66 so as to make an oil tight case and at the same time permit ready inspection and repair of these parts whenever necessary. The casing is also provided with a packed piston rod bushing 71 to retain oil in the casing and also serve as a piston rod guide. Oil is supplied to the casing by means of a tap opening 67.

To further add to the durability of the pump unit, a sleeve bearing 68 is cast integral with the crosshead casing 52. The outer end of this bearing is provided with a flange 69 which is engaged by the hub of the flywheel 56 and this fiange'69 together with the guide flanges 6262 for the slotted crosshead yoke, maintain these parts in lateral alignment with the pump piston and prevent excessive wear. To further add to the durability of the apparatus, the casing 11 is provided with a large aperturedboss '70 for guiding the piston rod and leakage of oil is prevented by an associated packing gland 71. In a like manner the pump cylinder end adjacent the casing includes an apertured end portion 72 and packing gland 73 which shall also serve as a guide for the piston rod which is closely coupled with the operating crosshead yoke.

By casting the crosshead casing and cylinder body in one unit these parts are produced in absolute alignment because a die casting is held to a definite dimensionsince there is no warping or shrinkage of the casting while being cast.

Another feature of the improved pump construction is the arrangement of the discharge conduit 4'7 below the gasket line 15 and above both the inlet and discharge valves. This construction enables the valves to be serviced by merely removing the air chamber cover section 13 and this may be done without disturbing any of the pipe connections to the pump. When the pump is pumping air for any reason, the flow is naturally upward from the valves and direct to the discharge opening, whereby any chance of the pump becoming air bound from this source is reduced to a minimum. This is an important feature in installations of this character where the pump frequently pumps air due to the failure of water supply. My improved construction prevents the pump from becoming air bound and enables it to resume its normal operation, when the source of water is restored.

Having thus described an improved pump unit constructed in accordance with my invention, it will be noted that the entire apparatus has been designed so that all the castings for the pump and crosshead casing may be die cast. Thisnovel construction provides a more compact and durable pump and one having greater eificiency than similar pumps now in use because the ports and Waterways are arranged so that the water will flow the shortest path with a minimum amount of resistance. This construction also provides for reducing the manufacturing costs to a minimum. Die casting not only produces a more practical pump but provides a more saleable product due to the pleasing smooth exterior appearance which results from such manufacture.

In particular installations where unusual atmospheric or water conditions are encountered, the castings are further prepared by adding a coating of chromium or cadmium, whichever is best suited to meet the particular requirements and provide the most durable pump.

What is claimed is:

1. In a pump unit of the character described, a die cast pump casing comprising a cylinder, inlet and discharge chambers disposed on opposite sides thereof, a cover member for the casing, axially aligned valve ports in the upper and loWer cylinder walls and at opposite ends thereof, said ports communicating directly with said cylinder and said chambers to provide waterways of minimum water resistance, removable valve units for said ports including an inlet valve element and a discharge valve element, a guide plate fitted within the casing for positioning all of said valve elements relative to their respective ports and means on the cover for positioning the guide plate and valves when the cover is assembled to the casing.

2. In a pump, the combination with a pump cylinder and a piston therefor, of inlet and discharge chambers having their walls integral with said cylinder walls, a pair of axially aligned ports at each end of said cylinder and having their valve seats formed in the upper and lower walls thereof, one pair of said ports having its axis in vertical alignment with the axis of the pump cylinder and the inlet and discharge chambers and the vertical axis of the other pair of ports at the other end of the cylinder being offset from the cylinder axis, valve members for each pair of aligned ports arranged to form a unit, and a guide member for positioning both of said valve units.

3. In a pump, the combination with a pump cylinder and a piston therefor, of inlet and discharge chambers having their walls integral with said cylinder walls, a pair of axially aligned ports at each end of said cylinder and in the walls thereof, one pair of said portshaving its axis in vertical alignment with the axis of the pump cylinder and the inlet and discharge chambers and the vertical axis of the other pair of ports at the other end of the cylinder being offset from the cylinder axis, valve members for each pair of ports arranged to form a unit, a guide member extending between the valve units for positioning both of said valve units, and means associated with the pump casing for positively positioning the guide member therein.

4. In a pump, the combination with a pump cylinder having inlet and discharge chambers disposed on opposite sides thereof to form a pump body, of a cover therefor, a pair of axially aligned ports in said cylinder and chamber walls, a pair of valve members associated with said ports and arranged to form a unit, a guide member for said valve members, means in the pump body for positioning said guide member relative to the valve ports, and means carried by the cover member for positively engaging the guide member to hold the same in rigid position whereby the valves of each unit are maintained in accurate alignment.

5. In a pump unit of the character described, a pump casing comprising walls including a longitudinally extended pump cylinder, an inlet and discharge chamber disposed on opposite sides of said cylinder, axially aligned ports formed in the adjacent cylinder and chamber walls, valve members for each port, a cover member for the discharge chamber including an air chamber for receiving water from said discharge chamber and cushioning the effect of said discharge, and means for securing the cover to the discharge chamber walls including a tubular member extending from the top portion of said cover into the discharge chamber and below the water level normally maintained in said air chamber, whereby leakage of air is prevented.

6. In a die cast pump, the combination with a pump cylinder and a piston therefor, of an inlet and discharge chamber disposed on opposite sides of said cylinder and commensurate in length therewith, the axes of said chambers being at an oblique angle to the cylinder axis, a pair of axially aligned valve ports located at opposite ends of the cylinder and in the adjacent cylinder and chamber walls, one pair of said valve ports being offset from the cylinder axis and the other pair of said valve ports being located substantially at the intersection of said cylinder and chamber axes, removable valve units for each pair of valve ports, and a removable cover for one of the chambers, whereby access may be had to the valve units without removing the piston from the pump cylinder.

7. A die cast pump unit comprising walls forming a longitudinally extended pump cylinder, laterally disposed inlet and discharge chambers on opposite sides of said cylinder, the axes of said inlet and discharge chambers being at an oblique angle to said cylinder axis, a pair of axially aligned valve ports located in the adjacent cylinder and chamber walls and at opposite ends of the cylinder, one pair of ports being located substantially at the intersection of the cylinder and inlet and discharge chamber axes, the other pair of ports being offset from the cylinder axis, valve units for each pair of ports, and a cover for the discharge chamber whereby access may be had to the valve members at the several ports.

8. As a new article of manufacture, a pump unit arranged for die casting and comprising integrally formed walls, providing a horizontally extended pump cylinder, a laterally disposed inlet chamber on one side of said cylinder, a laterally disposed discharge chamber on the opposite side of said cylinder, and a pair of axially aligned valve ports located in the upper and lower cylinder walls and at opposite ends thereof to provide a direct upward flow water-way between the cylinder and the adjacent inlet and discharge chambers, both pairs of said valve ports being located in a vertical plane which intersects a vertical plane of the cylinder axis, one pair of said valve ports being located at substantially the intersection of said vertical planes, and the other pair of said ports being offset from the vertical plane of said cylinder axis.

LE ROY H. LABAW. 

